Monday Markets and Jobs for Writers

Monday brings the weekly batch of no-fee, paying listings of competitions, contests, and calls for submissions—plus jobs for those of us who write (especially those of us who write fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction).

“Subprimal Poetry Art looks for poetry and flash fiction that is crafted, urgent, lyrical, compelling, mythical, concerned with spiritual revelation, uses rhythmic sensual, vivid imagery and deals with fundamental truths. We’re looking for work that enables the reader / listener to experience something that they might not otherwise in their regular life and causes them to think. We like pieces that use language in new ways. We have a special fondness for prose poems. Voices outside of the status quo keep us awake at night.” They also consider “essays about the creative process. Could be about writing, or about another creative process such as painting. Could be about producing the work, about getting it out into the world, or how it interacts with the world. Informative, well-written, fun.” NB: “If your work is accepted, we’d like to get a photo of you, a third person bio, and (for poetry / flash pieces) an audio (or audio / video) recording of you reading your piece. As you (hopefully) already know from perusing Subprimal Poetry Art, we create custom musical compositions to complement an author’s recording.” Will consider reprints. Deadline for this reading period is June 30. Pays: “We pay $20 for each published work that has not been previously published. For reprints, we pay $10. Payment is made upon publication. You must be able to receive payment via PayPal.”

Open for entries now: “Milwaukee Irish Fest offers two poetry prizes annually; each award is $100. Winners will be announced at Irish Fest during the poetry events on Sunday afternoon, August 20, in the Hedge School in the Cultural Village on the south end of the grounds….The poetry awards will be given to the entries best reflecting Irish or Irish-American poetry traditions. Although the poems do not necessarily need to have direct Irish or Irish-American themes, the winning entries should have a culture/literary relation to either Ireland, Irish-America, or to Irish poetry. The Donn Goodwin Prize is named after a Wisconsin poet, linguist, and educator who was active in supporting poetry events at Irish Fest. This contest is open to all. The Joseph Gahagan Prize is awarded in the memory of the man who served as poetry consultant to the Fest for many years. This contest is limited to current residents of Wisconsin.” No entry fees. Deadline: August 1, 2017.

Here’s something only for writers in Oxfordshire, England. “Writers in Oxford is using its 25th anniversary to attract and engage with a younger audience, in a writing competition for Young Oxfordshire Writers aged 18-30. £1000 will be given away in cash prizes, and 25 entrants will receive a two-year honorary membership of WiO….Submissions are invited of a piece of writing ‘Inspired by Oxford.’ The work can be ﬁction or non-ﬁction, up to 500 words in length, and can have been previously published.” Prize details: “There will be ﬁve cash prizes: two prizes of £350 and three prizes of £100. In addition, 25 competition entrants (including the five cash-prize winners) will receive two years of honorary membership of WiO.” No entry fee. Deadline: September 1, 2017.

“The Creative Writing Program at the University of British Columbia invites applications from promising emerging Indigenous writers from Canada for the Geoffrey and Margaret Andrew Fellowship in Creative and Performing Arts. The award, which fosters greater respect and understanding for culture and education within Canada and internationally, rotates among creative and performing arts units to advance the career of an artist from a developing country or one who identifies as Indigenous. In 2017-18, the Creative Writing Program is prioritizing the latter. The one-month fellowship includes travel to Vancouver between January-April 2018, accommodation at UBC, and a $5000 award. About 70% of the fellow’s time will be devoted to working on his/her/their projects and the remaining 30% to classroom and community engagement. Eligible candidates may work in a range of literary genres: oral storytelling, poetry, fiction, nonfiction, playwriting, screenwriting, comics, digital forms are all welcome. The ideal candidate will be in the early stages of his/her/their career. The selection committee comprises principally Indigenous membership: an Indigenous faculty member, two Indigenous Creative Writing graduate students, and two Creative Writing faculty members.” No application fee. Deadline: June 26, 2017. (via @_KatieBooth_).

“Boston magazine seeks a staff writer to join our editorial team. This position is responsible for pitching, writing, and promoting daily stories for bostonmagazine.com, gathering and sharing news in topics ranging from business and higher education, to transportation and crazy weather, to other share-worthy stories such as shark sightings off the Cape, MIT’s latest robot, or Tom Brady’s courtroom sketch.”

“The San Francisco Chronicle is seeking an exceptional narrative writer. The ideal candidate is a skilled reporter and compelling storyteller with a demonstrated ability to deliver captivating long- and short-form narrative journalism on a variety of topics. This reporter will have the opportunity to take on deeply reported, immersive projects that result in authoritatively told, literary stories of substance and staying power.”

Job in Washington: “The Hill is seeking a social media curator with strong writing skills and an unbridled enthusiasm for politics, breaking news, and social media.”

“The University of Arizona Poetry Center seeks highly motivated and engaging applicants for the position of part time Education Program Assistant. In collaboration with the Education Program Coordinator, this position is responsible for carrying out the Poetry Center’s five K-12 education efforts: Writing the Community, Family Days, Poetry Out Loud, Field Trips, and the Dianne Bret Harte Matinee Program.”

Summer position available in Cambridge, Massachusetts. “In partnership with the Cambridge School Department and the City of Cambridge Office of Workforce Development, The Cambridge Housing Authority (CHA) Work Force’s Summer College Immersion Program (SCIP) consists of weekly College Admission Essay Writing Workshops, and Math and English SAT Prep classes taught on the MIT Campus in Cambridge. Starting on Wednesday July 5, 2017, the program will run for six weeks, and will enroll approximately 23 rising 12th grade CHA residents who have been identified by Cambridge Rindge and Latin School and The Work Force staff as motivated students who need help in strengthening their SAT scores and their writing skills. We are seeking one English Writing instructor to start on July 5th, with at least two pre-planning meetings in late June.” Pays: “$30/hr (for 13 hours a week of instructional and 2 hrs/wk of prep time for seven weeks).”

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About Erika Dreifus

Erika Dreifus is the author of Quiet Americans: Stories (Last Light Studio), which is an ALA Sophie Brody Medal Honor Title for outstanding Jewish literature. Quiet Americans was also named a Notable Book (The Jewish Journal) and a Top Small-Press Book (Shelf Unbound). Erika is a contributing editor for Fiction Writers Review and an advisory board member for J Journal: New Writing on Justice, and she wrote the section on “Choosing a Low-Residency MFA Program in Creative Writing” for the second edition of Tom Kealey’s Creative Writing MFA Handbook (Continuum, 2008). Erika is also the editor/publisher of The Practicing Writer, a free (and popular) e-newsletter featuring advice, opportunities, and resources on the craft and business of writing for fictionists, poets, and writers of creative nonfiction.

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Quiet Americans - Stories by Erika Dreifus

A high-ranking Nazi’s wife and a Jewish doctor in prewar Berlin. A Jewish immigrant soldier and the German POWs he is assigned to supervise. A refugee returning to Europe for the first time just as terrorists massacre Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics. A son of survivors and the family secrets modern technology may reveal. These are some of the characters and conflicts that emerge in Quiet Americans, in stories that reframe familiar questions about what is right and wrong, remembered and repressed, resolved and unending. Portions of the proceeds from sales of Quiet Americans are being donated to The Blue Card. Quiet Americans has been named a 2012 Sophie Brody Medal Honor Title (American Library Association) and recognized as a “Notable Book” (The Jewish Journal) and “Top Book” (Shelf Unbound).

The Practicing Writer Newsletter

For nearly seven years, subscribers have welcomed The Practicing Writer, a free monthly e-newsletter that helps fiction writers, poets, and writers of creative nonfiction with their craft and business. Always listing paying publication opportunities, always announcing contests and other opportunities that don’t charge entry/application fees. Click here [HYPERLINK TO http://www.erikadreifus.com/newsletter/ ) to learn more, click here [HYPERLINK TO http://www.erikadreifus.com/newsletter/current/) to read the latest issue online, or go ahead and subscribe right now (and get a free writing-contest guide!).